HUNGER COUNT 2018

A profile of Hamiltonians experiencing food insecurity

Hamilton’s Emergency Food Network is made up of 12 food banks and 7 hot meal programs. As the hub of the Emergency Food
Network, Hamilton Food Share raises 2.8 million pounds of food per year, distributing these supplies to agencies across the city.
Together, the emergency food system procures over 5 million pounds of food per year and puts it on the tables of people who
need it the most. The Hunger Count report is formulated using data directly from these frontline agencies.

Food Bank Access Comparison “Living in poverty means choosing between

the necessities of life; medicine or food, a place
All household visits across the community
to live or feeding your kids, heating your home
or eating that day. After struggling to cover the
basics, come payday, there is no ‘nice to have’
March 2018 March 2017 on your household list - only what you can
Adults 12,999 13,670 afford. For too many, too often, food will barely
Children 8,278 8,170 make an appearance on that list.”
Total People 21,277 21,840 Joanne Santucci, Executive Director,
Total Households 8,212 8,400 Hamilton Food Share.

39% or over 8,200

On a typical day in Hamilton Hamiltonians accessing
m
Food equal to 8,902 meals is distributed mily Co positi a food bank are children
a o
by the Emergency Food Network
F

n
Singles (47%)
2 Parent Families (26%)
Number % of Total
Children's Ages of Children Children Single Parents (19%)
Couples (8%)
Babies (0-2) 1,235 15%
Preschoolers (3-5) 1,417 17%
School-Aged (6-11) 2,939 36%
Teenagers (12-18) 2,687 32% On a typical day in Hamilton
Over 700 People willaccess a food bank
Meal
On a typical day in Hamilton Programs
Public Meal
276 children will line up at a food bank Programs Meals
Served in ry Source of In Disability (37%)
March 2018: a c
m Ontario Works (35%)
om

12,576
Pri

The root cause of food insecurity Employed (7%)

e

in our community is poverty Child Tax Benefit (6%)

Other (3%)
While Hamilton has been described as going through a renaissance,
the benefit of this growth will not reach every household in our city, Old Age Security (3%)
especially those who access food banks. For instance, the top source CPP -Retirement (3%)
of income for Hamiltonians who access food banks is disability Immigration Related (2.5%)
benefits, one of the most vulnerable groups in the city. People in No Income (2%)
these households experience a myriad of health challenges that EI (1.5%)
leave them unable to work.

Health Risks: Hamiltonians in low income households, like 863,492 other Canadians are turning to food banks for help to put
food on the table. The average Canadian family spends $7,035 a year on food, 10.4 percent of its total expenditures. A family in
the poorest 20 per cent of the population only spends $3,870 on food, but that amounts to 16.9 percent of its expenditures.2 Deep
anxiety, compromised quality of food and lack of food contributes to increase risk of poor mental and physical health. In Ontario,
1 in 8 households lives with food insecurity, however 1 in 3 hospitalizations due to mental health issues are people from food
insecure households.3 It has recently been found that food insecurity in itself greatly increases the risk of experiencing mental
health issues, rather than food insecurity being a symptom of mental illness.4
 “Hunger is the price I pay for the roof over my head.”
– Anonymous food bank client in Hamilton

All Visits vs. Unique Households Food Bank Access March 2018
In contrast to “All Visits,” a unique count of food bank visits counts Unique Households
only information for each household who visits, even if they access a
food bank several times in a month. Sixty-two percent of people
using a food bank visit only once per month.
Adults 7,984
Children 4,635
The table below reflects the 73% of unique households who pay
market rent, and what percentage of income they pay towards rent. Total People 12,619
Paying 30% to 49% puts households at high risk of homelessness. Total Households 5,235
Paying 50% or more of household income puts households at extreme
risk of homelessness.5 The chart below shows that 86% of these
households are at high or extreme risk of homelessness. *Less than 1% variance over the year prior.

50% of In
Income Spent % Of Top 3 Primary Income % of Households than co
On Rent Households Sources in Category in Category re

m
Mo

et
Paying
ODSP 33%

o Rent
Less than 30% 14% OW 30%
Child Tax 12%

ODSP 47%
30-49% 35% OW 25%
Child Tax 6%

OW 47%
More than 50% 51% ODSP 28% Single Households (62%)
P/T Employment 4% 2 Parent Families (16%)
Single Parent Households (15%)
OW=Ontario Works (Social Assistance), ODSP=Ontario Disability Support Program Couples (7%)

On a typical day in Hamilton “If you are poor, you are essentially an illness, an accident, or a paycheck
away from living on the streets.” - National Coalition for the Homeless
33 seniors will seek help at a food bank
Depth of Hunger 1,860 households live at extreme
Food banks in Hamilton give out
risk of homelessness
3-5 days' worth of food per visit. Days Worth Number of People living alone are at the greatest
The Depth of Hunger chart shows of Food Needed Unique People risk of homelessness based on their
how many people need one visit 3-5 7,860 income to rent ratio. Most shelters in
(3-5 days' worth of food) and how 6-10 2,643 Hamilton operate at or over capacity.6
many need more. Although 11-15 1,087 Without the support of food banks, many
12,619 unique people accessed 16-20 516 more people would be unable to afford
food banks, 4,759 (38%) needed their housing and be forced to turn to
20+ 513
to visit more than once for food this system, already stretched to its limit.
enough to bridge the hunger gap.
Total 12,619
On a typical day in Hamilton
1Food Banks Canada (2016) Hunger Count Report. Mississauga, ON. 2Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (2009) The Affordability Gap:
Spending Differences between Canada’s Rich and Poor. Ottawa, ON . 3Tarasuk V, Cheng J, Gundersen C,de Oliveira C, Kurdyak P. The relation 106 households are at high risk
between food insecurity and mental health care service utilization in Ontario. Can J Psychiatry. 2018. DOI: 10.1177/0706743717752879.
4McIntyre L, Williams J, Lavorato D, Patten S. Depression and suicide ideation in late adolescence and early adulthood are an outcome of child of homelessness
hunger. J Affect Disord. 2012;150(1):123-9.. 5Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (2018) About Affordable Housing in Canada.
Online. 6Van Dongen,Matthew. “Shelter Operators Sound Alarm Over Funding Crunch.”The Hamilton Spectator June 1, 2018.

Emergency Food Programs Taking Part in the Survey

Ancaster Community Services / Good Shepherd Centres / Living Rock Ministries/ Mission Services Opportunity Centres of Hamilton
The Native Women's Centre / Neighbour to Neighbour Centre / St. Matthew's House (2 Locations) / Salvation Army Hamilton
Salvation Army, Dundas / Stoney Creek Community Food Bank / Wesley Urban Ministries / Welcome Inn Community Centre

339 Barton St., Stoney Creek, ON L8E 2L2

Tel: 905.664.9065 To donate, learn more, or to sign up
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